The present invention relates to a disc tray which is capable of loading a recording and/or reproducing disc, such as an optical disc or a magneto-optical disc, serving as a recording medium for information signals in a state in which the disc is held in the disc tray, a disc accommodating apparatus for use when the disc tray is preserved or carried and a disc drive apparatus.
Hitherto, discs, such as optical discs and magneto-optical discs, have been known to serve as recording mediums for recording information signals, such as music signals, video signals, information signals which must be processed by an information processing apparatus, such as a computer, or information signals, such as program information or the like for controlling the operation of a computer.
Discs of the foregoing type include a CD (Compact Disc), a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable), a DVD (Digital Video Disc) and a DVD-ROM (Digital Video Disc Read Only Memory).
There is apprehension that an information signal cannot be recorded and/or reproduced if dust adheres to the signal recording surface of a disc, such as an optical disc or a magneto-optical disc, or if the signal recording surface is damaged.
Therefore, a disc of the foregoing type is accommodated and preserved in a disc accommodating apparatus. Since the disc is accommodated in the disc accommodating apparatus when the disc is carried, the signal recording surface can be protected.
Hitherto, the disc accommodating apparatus has been composed of three elements including a case body formed by molding transparent synthetic resin and having a rectangular shape: a cover rotatively joined to the case body through hinge portions so as to open/close an opened portion formed on the upper surface of the if case body; and a disc tray made of thin and transparent synthetic resin sheet or a synthetic resin plate and arranged to be placed in the case body.
The disc tray arranged to be placed in the case body is able to hold the disc which is accommodated in the disc accommodating apparatus. The disc tray has a disc-receiving recess formed into a circular shape substantially corresponding to the outer shape of the disc which is accommodated in the disc accommodating apparatus. The recess has, in the central portion thereof, a disc holding projection to which a center hole formed in the central portion of the disc is engaged. The center hole of the disc is engaged to the disc holding projection so as to be placed horizontally in the disc-receiving recess so that the disc is held in the disc tray.
The disc accommodated in the disc accommodating apparatus is removed from the disc tray so as to be removed from the case body. Then, the disc is held by the fingers so as to be loaded into the disc drive apparatus.
The disc accommodating apparatus arranged in such a manner that the disc is removed from the case body and only the disc is loaded into the disc drive apparatus causes a complicated operation to be performed when the disc is loaded into the disc drive apparatus. Since the disc is held directly by the fingers, there is apprehension that the signal recording surface of the disc is damaged and contamination, such as fingerprints, is allowed to adhere to the signal recording surface. If the signal recording surface is damaged or dust is allowed to adhere to the same, there is apprehension that recording and/or reproducing of an information signal information signal cannot completely be performed.
As a disc accommodating apparatus which is capable of solving the above-mentioned problem, a structure has been disclosed in Japanese Utility-Model Publication No. 5-31724.
A disc accommodating apparatus 301 disclosed as described above, as shown in FIG. 71, has a rectangular shape and is composed of four elements including a case body 302 formed into a box shape having an opened upper surface and a small depth; a cover 303 rotatively joined to the case body 302 through a hinge portion 302a and formed into a flat plate for opening/closing the upper portion of the case body 302; a disc tray 304 detachably loaded into the case body 302; and a disc pressing member 305 rotatively joined to the central portion of the inner surface of the cover 303. The disc tray 304 has a circular dis-receiving recess 306 formed therein. The disc-receiving recess 306 has a U-shape bottom opening 307 formed from substantially the central portion of the disc-receiving recess 306 toward an end of the disc tray 304. The disc 310 is placed within the disc-receiving recess 306 in such a manner that a slight gap is maintained between the end of the disc 310 and the disc-receiving recess 306. When the cover 303 is closed, the disc 310 is supported by the disc pressing member 305 from an upper position so as to be held within the disc-receiving recess 306.
When the disc 310 accommodated in the disc accommodating apparatus 301 is loaded into the disc drive apparatus, the cover 303 is rotated about the hinge portion 302a to remove the disc pressing member 305 to a position above the disc 310. Then, the disc tray 304 is removed from the case body 302. Then, the disc tray 304 having the disc 310 placed on the disc-receiving recess 306 thereof is inserted into the disc drive apparatus so that the disc 310 is loaded.
When the disc tray 304 has been loaded into the disc drive apparatus, the disc table disposed in the body of the apparatus through the bottom opening 307 is inserted into the disc tray 304.
Since the foregoing disc accommodating apparatus 301 is composed of four elements, the number of the elements is too large and a large number of man-hours is required. Thus, the cost cannot be reduced. What is worse, the disc pressing function of the disc pressing member 305 is suspended at the instant when the cover 303 has been opened. Then, the disc 310 is brought to a state in which the disc 310 can easily be separated from the inside portion of the disc tray 304.
Moreover, an operation for removing the disc tray 304 from the case body 302 having a surrounding peripheral wall cannot easily be performed. Thus, there is a risk that the disc 310 is dropped and damaged when the case body 302 and the disc tray 304 are carelessly inclined during the operation for removing the disc tray 304. Whenever the disc tray 304 removed from the case body 302 is loaded into the disc drive apparatus, the disc tray 304 must be held by another hand to easily insert the disc tray 304 into the disc drive apparatus. Also during the foregoing operation for changing the hand for holding the disc tray 304, there is apprehension that the disc tray 304 is carelessly inclined and dropped.
Therefore, the necessity of preventing careless inclination of the case body 302 and the disc tray 304 when the disc 310 is loaded into the disc drive apparatus raises a difficulty of the operation for loading the disc 310 into the disc drive apparatus.
Moreover, the disc tray 304 arranged in such a manner that the disc 310 is placed within the disc-receiving recess 306 cannot be used in a so-called stand-up disc drive apparatus which is stood erect.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel disc tray and a disc accommodating apparatus capable of solving the problems experienced with the conventional disc tray or the disc accommodating apparatus.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a disc tray and a disc accommodating apparatus capable of reliably projecting an optical disc or a magneto-optical disc for use to serve as a recording medium for an information signal.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a disc tray and a disc accommodating apparatus with which the operation for loading/unloading a disc can easily be performed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disc tray and a disc accommodating apparatus with which the operation for loading a disc into a disc drive apparatus can easily and reliably be performed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disc tray which can be used in a disc drive apparatus which is disposed vertically when it is used.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disc tray and a disc accommodating apparatus which is capable of reducing the number of elements and which can easily be manufactured.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disc drive apparatus which is capable of protecting a disc and which enables a loading operation to be performed reliably.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a disc tray according to the present invention has an overall body formed into a thin plate-like shape, the disc tray comprising: a disc-receiving recess having an inner diameter larger than the diameter of a recording and/or reproducing disc and a depth larger than the thickness of the disc and arranged to removably hold the disc while having gaps in a direction parallel with the surfaces of the disc and in a direction of the thickness of the disc; a bottom opening formed along the widthwise directional center of the disc tray in a range from substantially the central portion of the bottom portion of the disc-receiving recess to an end of the bottom portion and having a shape that the end of the bottom is opened; and at least one elastic support portion formed to project into the disc-receiving recess from outside of the disc-receiving recess and arranged to press at least a portion of the outer periphery of the disc held in the disc-receiving recess so as to support the disc in the disc-receiving recess.
A pair of the elastic support portions are formed on the two sides of the opened portion of the disc-receiving recess so as to press the disc placed in the disc-receiving recess against the vertical surfaces of the disc-receiving recess in order to prevent looseness.
A plurality of disc-separation-preventive portions are formed to project into the disc-receiving recess from outside of the disc-receiving recess in such a manner that gaps at least permitting insertion of the disc are formed from the bottom portion of the disc-receiving recess. Thus, the disc can reliably be held in the disc-receiving recess.
Moreover, the disc tray has a plurality of disc-separation-preventive portions formed to project into the disc-receiving recess from outside of the disc-receiving recess in such a manner that gaps at least permitting insertion of the disc are formed from the bottom portion of the disc-receiving recess.
Since the disc tray has the elastic support portions and the disc-separation-preventive portions, portions of the disc are engaged to the disc-separation-preventive portions and the elastic displacement portions are thus displaced. As a result, the disc can easily be loaded/unloaded to and from the disc-receiving recess.
Since a disc support portion for supporting a non-signal-recording region in the inner portion of the disc held in the disc-receiving recess is formed in the bottom portion of the disc-receiving recess, the disc can be held in such a manner that contact of the signal recording surface with the disc-receiving recess can be prevented.
A tray accommodating case comprises: a tray accommodating portion closed by opposite upper and lower surfaces, opposite side surface perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces and a rear surface perpendicular to the side surfaces and having a tray insertion/removal opening formed in the front surface opposite to the rear surface; and a tray engagement portion formed in the tray accommodating portion and arranged to removably be engaged to an engagement portion provided for a disc tray which is inserted through the disc tray insertion/removal opening so as to engage the disc tray to an accommodating position.
The tray accommodating case has a disc pressing portion formed in substantially the central portion in the direction of the rear surface opposite to the tray insertion/removal opening so as to elastically press a disc held in the tray accommodating portion. Thus, a disc held on the disc tray can be accommodated in the disc accommodating apparatus without looseness.
A disc accommodating apparatus according to the present invention comprises the disc tray and the tray accommodating case for accommodating the disc tray.
A disc drive apparatus into which the disc tray having a disc on which an information signal is recorded comprises: a tray receiving portion for receiving the disc tray; a disc rotating mechanism for rotating the disc held on the disc tray loaded into the tray receiving portion; and recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing an information signal to and from the disc which is rotated by the disc rotating mechanism.
The disc drive apparatus has a chucking member arranged to chuck the disc held on the disc tray to the disc rotating mechanism and disposed opposite to the disc rotating mechanism. Thus, the disc is chucked by the chucking member so that the disc is rotated integrally with the disc rotating mechanism.
The tray receiving portion is provided with disc-receiving-recess enlarging means which is engaged to the opened end of the disc-receiving recess provided for the disc tray when the disc tray is loaded in the tray receiving portion to enlarge the disc-receiving recess so as to permit the disc held in the disc-receiving recess to freely rotate in the disc-receiving recess.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments